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‘We still speak'

Kings coach Michael Malone denied a report that he and Warriors coach Mark Jackson went weeks without talking while he was Jackson's lead assistant the previous two seasons.

Malone spoke before Sacramento hosted the Knicks on Wednesday night. His comments came a day after Jackson reassigned first-year assistant Brian Scalabrine to the team's NBA Development League affiliate in Santa Cruz because of what Jackson called a “difference in philosophies.”

Yahoo Sports, citing unidentified league sources, said Jackson and Malone went weeks without talking during their tenure. Malone says the two spoke every day and worked through their differences.

“It is annoying because I'm worried about the Sacramento Kings. And what goes on in Golden State right now is really none of my business,” Malone said. “I will say this: I had two great years in Golden State. I consider myself a very small part of the success that we had last year.

“And the one thing that has been reported that I would contradict is that Mark Jackson and I still have a relationship. We still speak. We never went weeks without speaking to each other, and it wasn't just a conversation of, ‘Hey, how you doing?' ”

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Guard Rajon Rondo left the Celtics' game against the Raptors after getting cut on his forehead. The team said Rondo received nine stitches in the middle of his forehead above his nose. ... Shooting guard Bradley Beal missed the end of the first half and beginning of the second of the Wizards' game against the Suns with a right hip pointer.

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